Having great change-of-direction speed (agility with quickness) allows the athlete to beat her or his opponent "to the stop" or recover from mistakes in positioning.
How many times have you seen a player with "not great speed" repeatedly make plays to help the team win. This is not an accident. You can improve your change-of-direction speed with proper training.
As with any athletic move, core strength is critical. Overall body strength is also important.
Before an athlete begins to train for speed and power, the foundation should be laid with sufficient core and body strength. Failure to lay this strength foundation will lead to certain injuries for the athlete.
Body positioning is critical if you want to improve your change-of-direction speed. You will need dynamic balance. In many sports, it is not that easy to change direction and accelerate because the athlete is often off balance.
Some sports, such as football and basketball require running with or bouncing a ball. And, other sports, such as soccer require moving a ball with the feet. The best running backs, tennis players, basketball players, shortstops, etc. all have great dynamic balance.
Having great dynamic balance means that the athlete is able to maintain her or his center of gravity over a constantly changing base of support. Thus, quickness and agility drills help the athlete to improve dynamic balance and change-of-direction acceleration while not wasting motion.
To improve change-of-direction acceleration, the athlete should have a shin angle of approximately 45 degrees for the first few steps. The shoulders should also be slightly leaned forward.
The body lean should be at the ankles and not the hips. Having the feet just wider than shoulder-width apart will give an athlete the most stable base of support. This is not always possible during athletic competition.
Therefore, stability needs to be added by lowering the center of gravity. Change-of-direction acceleration could be laterally, at an angle or forward (when back pedaling) and will catapult the athlete to near maximal speed quickly.
The first step in the change-of-direction is important. If this step is too long, the athlete will over-stride and bring the shin to a vertical angle instead of 45 degrees. This will slow you down. So, the first step should be under your hips. Again, the body lean should be at ankles and not the hips.
When running forward or back pedaling, it is often necessary to slow down, change direction at an angle and accelerate in a straight line. As a defensive back, I often had to back pedal before accelerating in a different direction.
This meant that I had to plant my foot aggressively (with my knee inside my ankle) to accelerate quickly out of my cut. Failure to do so meant that I was "burnt toast" for the laughing receiver!
This positioning was also achieved by forcing the plant leg (opposite the direction I wanted to go) into the ground while my shoulders remained in the same position (slightly leaned forward). If my shoulders were out of position, I wasted motion and accelerated at a slower rate (burnt toast!).
Lateral change-of-direction technique is similar. Shin angle remains important. Shuffles are often followed by sprints. The athlete will use short, quick steps to decelerate and bring the body under control. A "jump stop" can also be used to change directions. The athlete's knees and hips should be bent with the shoulders aligned over the knees and toes.
Shuttle drills, lateral shuffle/cuts, back pedal/turn and run, back pedal/lateral break, back pedal/diagonal break, crossovers, cariocas, tapiocas, ladder drills, etc. can all be used to improve change-of-direction speed. The athlete should perfect technique at half speed before progressing to full speed drills.
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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Train To Improve Your Acceleration Speed
During intense sports competition, getting to the spot quicker is often more important than being faster than your opponent. Maximum speed is rarely reached in many sports, so your acceleration speed becomes crucial to your success.
A sprinter can win a race without being the fastest runner in the race by attaining his or her maximum speed before the other sprinters. That's acceleration speed. You can apply this principle to any sport. Researchers from New Zealand found that athletes with quicker ground contacts produced better acceleration.
Acceleration techniques are different for the various sports. The track and field sprinter accelerates out of the blocks with low body lean and legs behind the body. The arms are pumped as fast as possible to gain momentum. The sprinter won't "run tall" until the 4-5 second mark (it takes about that long to reach maximum velocity).
In other sports, it is not that easy to accelerate because the athlete is often off balance. Some sports, such as football and basketball require running with or bouncing a ball.
And, other sports, such as soccer require moving a ball with the feet. Acceleration techniques used by track sprinters can be used, namely body lean and arm movement. The best running backs, tennis players, basketball players, shortstops, etc. all have great dynamic balance.
Having great dynamic balance means that the athlete is able to maintain her or his center of gravity over a constantly changing base of support. Thus, quickness and agility drills help the athlete to improve dynamic balance and acceleration while not wasting motion. It is important for the athlete to train on different surfaces (grass, soft, etc.) to prepare for game-like situations.
While sport-specific plyometric training improves power, non-specific power training should not be ignored. Researchers from Canada found that athletes who performed better with weighted squat jumps were the best accelerators at 10 meters.
Therefore, concentric force development (jumping power) is critical to improve sprint acceleration. The first step from a stand-still (or near stand-still) position requires concentric muscle power.
What about training with weighted sleds and the like? First, this is an advanced training method that should be used after the athlete has obtained foundational core/body strength and foundational power training.
I have seen young athletes beginning training with sleds and other resistance apparatus. This is definitely a no-no and will lead the young athlete to certain injuries and postural problems.
Using sleds, car tires, etc. will force the athlete keep a low body position, drive hard through their legs and pump the arms with great force. Two-point, three point, standing and sprinters stances can be used to train for the various sports.
Greek researchers found that athletes training with towing methods (sleds, tires, etc.) improved their running velocity over the first 20 meters (i.e. acceleration) but that overall maximum speed did not improve.
The researchers found that unresisted sprint training techniques improved maximum speed velocity more. So, resisted and unresisted training has a place in the overall speed training program. Finally, the researchers found that towing sleds that were too heavy forced the athletes to use bad running mechanics.
What about over-speed training as it relates to improving speed acceleration? Over-speed training can be done with downhill runs and with elastic pulling cords. California researchers found that over-speed training had no significant impact on speed acceleration.
Improving sprint acceleration requires a structured sport-specific program of agility drills, quickness/reaction drills, weight training, plyometric (power) training and speed training.
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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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A sprinter can win a race without being the fastest runner in the race by attaining his or her maximum speed before the other sprinters. That's acceleration speed. You can apply this principle to any sport. Researchers from New Zealand found that athletes with quicker ground contacts produced better acceleration.
Acceleration techniques are different for the various sports. The track and field sprinter accelerates out of the blocks with low body lean and legs behind the body. The arms are pumped as fast as possible to gain momentum. The sprinter won't "run tall" until the 4-5 second mark (it takes about that long to reach maximum velocity).
In other sports, it is not that easy to accelerate because the athlete is often off balance. Some sports, such as football and basketball require running with or bouncing a ball.
And, other sports, such as soccer require moving a ball with the feet. Acceleration techniques used by track sprinters can be used, namely body lean and arm movement. The best running backs, tennis players, basketball players, shortstops, etc. all have great dynamic balance.
Having great dynamic balance means that the athlete is able to maintain her or his center of gravity over a constantly changing base of support. Thus, quickness and agility drills help the athlete to improve dynamic balance and acceleration while not wasting motion. It is important for the athlete to train on different surfaces (grass, soft, etc.) to prepare for game-like situations.
While sport-specific plyometric training improves power, non-specific power training should not be ignored. Researchers from Canada found that athletes who performed better with weighted squat jumps were the best accelerators at 10 meters.
Therefore, concentric force development (jumping power) is critical to improve sprint acceleration. The first step from a stand-still (or near stand-still) position requires concentric muscle power.
What about training with weighted sleds and the like? First, this is an advanced training method that should be used after the athlete has obtained foundational core/body strength and foundational power training.
I have seen young athletes beginning training with sleds and other resistance apparatus. This is definitely a no-no and will lead the young athlete to certain injuries and postural problems.
Using sleds, car tires, etc. will force the athlete keep a low body position, drive hard through their legs and pump the arms with great force. Two-point, three point, standing and sprinters stances can be used to train for the various sports.
Greek researchers found that athletes training with towing methods (sleds, tires, etc.) improved their running velocity over the first 20 meters (i.e. acceleration) but that overall maximum speed did not improve.
The researchers found that unresisted sprint training techniques improved maximum speed velocity more. So, resisted and unresisted training has a place in the overall speed training program. Finally, the researchers found that towing sleds that were too heavy forced the athletes to use bad running mechanics.
What about over-speed training as it relates to improving speed acceleration? Over-speed training can be done with downhill runs and with elastic pulling cords. California researchers found that over-speed training had no significant impact on speed acceleration.
Improving sprint acceleration requires a structured sport-specific program of agility drills, quickness/reaction drills, weight training, plyometric (power) training and speed training.
Download your FREE 10-Minute Strength and Power Workouts now!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
How To Improve Your Speed Endurance
When I played college football, the teams who were stronger and faster in the fourth quarter often won the game. This applies to any sport, whether individual or team.
Speed endurance is the ability to maintain maximum velocity or a percentage of maximum velocity for a prolonged period of time or in a fatigued state. When you are fatigued, it is important to maintain proper running mechanics. Doing so will give you an edge over your opponent.
Several sports require speed endurance including football, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, field hockey and tennis. These sports require repeated sprints followed by short periods of rest (walking or jogging).
Interval training for speed endurance is different than regular speed training. Speed endurance sprint intervals last from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Also, recovery time is reduced to prevent complete recovery by the athlete.
A variation would be to use metabolic speed endurance training to simulate actual game time activity. An example would be for an offense in football to simulate the entire game in practice (i.e., huddle, run a play, huddle, run a play).
Some drills that are used for speed endurance training are:
Shuttles - Place cones at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 yards. The athlete would sprint to the 5 yard cone and sprint back to the start. The athlete would then sprint to the 10 yard cone and sprint back to the start. The same would be done at the 15, 20 and 30 yard cones. That is one set. Rest for 2 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.
Pyramids - Place cones at 10 yard intervals for 60 yards. The athletes would: sprint 10 yards and walk 50 yards, sprint 20 yards and walk 40 yards, sprint 30 yards and walk 30 yards, sprint 40 yards and walk 20 yards, sprint 60 yards and sprint back to start for 60 yards. That is one set. Rest 3-5 minutes between sets. Do 4-5 sets.
Hollow Sprints - Sprint for 30 yards and jog for 30 yards. Do this for 2 minutes. That is one set. Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.
Run and Sprints - Set a distance of 80 yards. Start out running and build up to full speed at 50 yards. Sprint the final 30 yards. Slow down, turn around and repeat. That is one set. Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.
Remember, the strongest and fastest athletes/teams at the end of games are the ones who win!
Train hard and smart!
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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Speed endurance is the ability to maintain maximum velocity or a percentage of maximum velocity for a prolonged period of time or in a fatigued state. When you are fatigued, it is important to maintain proper running mechanics. Doing so will give you an edge over your opponent.
Several sports require speed endurance including football, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, field hockey and tennis. These sports require repeated sprints followed by short periods of rest (walking or jogging).
Interval training for speed endurance is different than regular speed training. Speed endurance sprint intervals last from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Also, recovery time is reduced to prevent complete recovery by the athlete.
A variation would be to use metabolic speed endurance training to simulate actual game time activity. An example would be for an offense in football to simulate the entire game in practice (i.e., huddle, run a play, huddle, run a play).
Some drills that are used for speed endurance training are:
Shuttles - Place cones at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 yards. The athlete would sprint to the 5 yard cone and sprint back to the start. The athlete would then sprint to the 10 yard cone and sprint back to the start. The same would be done at the 15, 20 and 30 yard cones. That is one set. Rest for 2 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.
Pyramids - Place cones at 10 yard intervals for 60 yards. The athletes would: sprint 10 yards and walk 50 yards, sprint 20 yards and walk 40 yards, sprint 30 yards and walk 30 yards, sprint 40 yards and walk 20 yards, sprint 60 yards and sprint back to start for 60 yards. That is one set. Rest 3-5 minutes between sets. Do 4-5 sets.
Hollow Sprints - Sprint for 30 yards and jog for 30 yards. Do this for 2 minutes. That is one set. Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.
Run and Sprints - Set a distance of 80 yards. Start out running and build up to full speed at 50 yards. Sprint the final 30 yards. Slow down, turn around and repeat. That is one set. Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.
Remember, the strongest and fastest athletes/teams at the end of games are the ones who win!
Train hard and smart!
Download your FREE 10-Minute Strength and Power Workouts now!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Monday, April 21, 2008
Baseball Players' Strength And Conditioning
In this article, I will cover the basics of general strength and conditioning for baseball players. The most successful baseball players have adequate amounts of strength, power and speed.
Foundational Strength
Strength gains should be obtained in the off season and maintained during the season. During the off season, you have adequate time to strength train and recover.
Maximal strength is not the goal here. Rather, the baseball player's objective is to achieve adequate core strength and limb strength to aid in training for sport-specific power.
So, forget about lifting as much weight as you can (i.e., one-rep max) and concentrate on building full body strength and conditioning.
Exercises such as dumbbell bench press, squats, step-ups, rows, shoulder press, lunges, etc. are used. Also, every baseball player needs a strong shoulder/rotator cuff of the throwing arm. There are a series of exercises designed to strengthen and stabilize this area.
Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)
The baseball player needs a certain amount of muscle growth but not so much as to inhibit playing the game with fluidity. Power is more important to achieve.
Power and Speed Development
Rate-of-force production or power (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one the best physical predictors of success in baseball and sports in general.
Power is achieved by performing resistance and plyometric exercises at maximum effort. This type of training has great potential for injuries. So, it is imperative that the athlete have adequate core and body strength before starting power training.
The speed demands of baseball are: starting ability, acceleration, stopping, cutting, stride rate, stride length, sprinting form and speed endurance.
Most explosive movements occur after some other movement (swinging, sliding, etc.). Maximum velocity is rarely reached except in the case of hitting a triple, inside-the-park homerun or running down a long fly ball.
Therefore, starting ability, acceleration and lateral speed should be emphasized during speed training.
Cardio Training
Long distance running for position players should be limited. Too much long distance running decreases speed. A player must train fast in order to get faster. A better alternative would be to do high intensity interval cardio training.
This type of cardio training would consist of rotating sprints and walking/jogging. A good example would be to sprint for 30 seconds and walk for 1 minute. Do this rotation for 20 minutes. This type of cardio training has been proven to produce superior heart health and fat burning results.
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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Foundational Strength
Strength gains should be obtained in the off season and maintained during the season. During the off season, you have adequate time to strength train and recover.
Maximal strength is not the goal here. Rather, the baseball player's objective is to achieve adequate core strength and limb strength to aid in training for sport-specific power.
So, forget about lifting as much weight as you can (i.e., one-rep max) and concentrate on building full body strength and conditioning.
Exercises such as dumbbell bench press, squats, step-ups, rows, shoulder press, lunges, etc. are used. Also, every baseball player needs a strong shoulder/rotator cuff of the throwing arm. There are a series of exercises designed to strengthen and stabilize this area.
Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)
The baseball player needs a certain amount of muscle growth but not so much as to inhibit playing the game with fluidity. Power is more important to achieve.
Power and Speed Development
Rate-of-force production or power (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one the best physical predictors of success in baseball and sports in general.
Power is achieved by performing resistance and plyometric exercises at maximum effort. This type of training has great potential for injuries. So, it is imperative that the athlete have adequate core and body strength before starting power training.
The speed demands of baseball are: starting ability, acceleration, stopping, cutting, stride rate, stride length, sprinting form and speed endurance.
Most explosive movements occur after some other movement (swinging, sliding, etc.). Maximum velocity is rarely reached except in the case of hitting a triple, inside-the-park homerun or running down a long fly ball.
Therefore, starting ability, acceleration and lateral speed should be emphasized during speed training.
Cardio Training
Long distance running for position players should be limited. Too much long distance running decreases speed. A player must train fast in order to get faster. A better alternative would be to do high intensity interval cardio training.
This type of cardio training would consist of rotating sprints and walking/jogging. A good example would be to sprint for 30 seconds and walk for 1 minute. Do this rotation for 20 minutes. This type of cardio training has been proven to produce superior heart health and fat burning results.
Download your FREE All-Star Baseball Power Workout Manual and improve your strength, power and explosiveness on the field!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Monday, April 14, 2008
Sports Massage Types
The purpose of your sports massage will determine what type you need. A massage can help you prepare for competition, recover from competition or rehabilitate an injury.
The sports massage therapist has many techniques available. For instance, techniques used in deep tissue and swedish massage can be combined with other techniques like neuromuscular therapy, myoskeletal alignment (postural distortions), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF stretching) and myofascial release techniques.
There are also specific massage techniques for injuries of the ankle, hamstrings or other muscle groups.
As stated in part 1 of this article series, sports massage can help the athlete reduce stress, tension and adhesions built up in the soft tissues (muscles, skin, tendons, etc.) during intense competition and overuse.
Some of the benefits of sports massage include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.
I will discuss two popular sports massage techniques in use today. As I stated earlier, the massage therapist can also use other techniques to enhance the massage process.
Swedish Massage - Its purpose is to increase circulation and oxygen flow in the blood. The massage strokes are often in the direction of the heart. This massage also releases toxins from the muscles such as lactic acid and uric acid (decreases recovery time from muscle strain).
Shiatsu - This massage technique uses finger pressure to stimulate the body's energy flow. The therapists can also use the thumbs, palms, knees, forearms, elbows and feet to provide pressure.
Some of the physical benefits of Shiatsu are stimulation of the circulatory, lymphatic and hormonal systems. The nervous system is also better regulated after a Shiatsu massage.
One tool that the massage therapist often uses is proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF stretching). This technique is effective when dealing with hamstring muscle problems.
If you are an athlete, give sports massage a try. It will give you one more competitive advantage you need to compete at a high level.
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Start at your level and progress.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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The sports massage therapist has many techniques available. For instance, techniques used in deep tissue and swedish massage can be combined with other techniques like neuromuscular therapy, myoskeletal alignment (postural distortions), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF stretching) and myofascial release techniques.
There are also specific massage techniques for injuries of the ankle, hamstrings or other muscle groups.
As stated in part 1 of this article series, sports massage can help the athlete reduce stress, tension and adhesions built up in the soft tissues (muscles, skin, tendons, etc.) during intense competition and overuse.
Some of the benefits of sports massage include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.
I will discuss two popular sports massage techniques in use today. As I stated earlier, the massage therapist can also use other techniques to enhance the massage process.
Swedish Massage - Its purpose is to increase circulation and oxygen flow in the blood. The massage strokes are often in the direction of the heart. This massage also releases toxins from the muscles such as lactic acid and uric acid (decreases recovery time from muscle strain).
Shiatsu - This massage technique uses finger pressure to stimulate the body's energy flow. The therapists can also use the thumbs, palms, knees, forearms, elbows and feet to provide pressure.
Some of the physical benefits of Shiatsu are stimulation of the circulatory, lymphatic and hormonal systems. The nervous system is also better regulated after a Shiatsu massage.
One tool that the massage therapist often uses is proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF stretching). This technique is effective when dealing with hamstring muscle problems.
If you are an athlete, give sports massage a try. It will give you one more competitive advantage you need to compete at a high level.
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Start at your level and progress.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Friday, April 11, 2008
Sports Massage Helps Performance
A sports massage will help you perform better as an athlete. Typically, lifting weights, training with medicine balls, increasing speed, etc. are thought of immediately as ways to improve performance.
Sports massage is also an important tool that you can use to help you perform better during practice and competition. It can be used before, during and after practice or competition. Stress, tension and adhesions build up in your soft tissues (muscles, skin, tendons, etc.) during intense competition and overuse.
The benefits of sports massage include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.
Athletes can also use self massage (Self Myofascial Release) with foam rolls (SMRF).
Think of yourself as your own physical therapist when using SMRF. You can increase the elasticity in your muscles by improving your flexibility. The foam roller is one of the most effective techniques for releasing tension while improving mobility.
Foam rolling exercises will release and organize your muscles, as well as release and align your skeletal system. Muscle injuries such as strains and tears and broken bones can be avoided with proper flexibility and skeletal alignment. You'll immediately feel the effectiveness of SMFR and its something you can do every day at home.
You should not do intense practice or competition after a sports massage. Wait until the following day to work on your sports skills.
In part 2 of this series, I will discuss the different types of sports massage.
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Start at your level and progress.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Sports Fitness Hut
Sports massage is also an important tool that you can use to help you perform better during practice and competition. It can be used before, during and after practice or competition. Stress, tension and adhesions build up in your soft tissues (muscles, skin, tendons, etc.) during intense competition and overuse.
The benefits of sports massage include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.
Athletes can also use self massage (Self Myofascial Release) with foam rolls (SMRF).
Think of yourself as your own physical therapist when using SMRF. You can increase the elasticity in your muscles by improving your flexibility. The foam roller is one of the most effective techniques for releasing tension while improving mobility.
Foam rolling exercises will release and organize your muscles, as well as release and align your skeletal system. Muscle injuries such as strains and tears and broken bones can be avoided with proper flexibility and skeletal alignment. You'll immediately feel the effectiveness of SMFR and its something you can do every day at home.
You should not do intense practice or competition after a sports massage. Wait until the following day to work on your sports skills.
In part 2 of this series, I will discuss the different types of sports massage.
Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Start at your level and progress.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
What's More Important: Brute Strength or Sports Power?
I was working out at the health club one day recently and I got a familiar question. Mark, what is your max on the bench press? My answer was, "I don't max on the bench press anymore." Not surprisingly, I got a puzzled look from the guy getting ready to bench press. What respectable macho male doesn't know his max on the bench press?
Here was my explanation to him: When I played collegiate football, my bench press max was 400 pounds. The truth is that the 400 pound bench press max didn't make me a better football player. A 300 pound bench press max would have been enough.
Why? Because power, speed, agility, quickness and dynamic balance are more important than brute strength!
Rate-of-force production or power (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one of the best physical predictors of athletic success (dynamic balance is the other). At some point, more strength will not increase your power.
From my experience of playing football at the Division I level in college as a defensive back, a big-time bench press max had little to do with successfully playing the game.
And on the occasions that bench press strength came into play, such as taking on a tight end, leverage and body positioning was more important than bench press strength. I know a former NFL lineman who started on 2 Super Bowl championship teams who said that leverage and positioning was more important than bench press strength. He should know.
When I train athletes, I focus on building their full-body strength and endurance as a foundation for speed and power training. Strength is not a bad thing, but I stress more importance on speed, power, quickness, agility, etc. using exercises that simulate game-time actions. That's where games are won and lost.
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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Here was my explanation to him: When I played collegiate football, my bench press max was 400 pounds. The truth is that the 400 pound bench press max didn't make me a better football player. A 300 pound bench press max would have been enough.
Why? Because power, speed, agility, quickness and dynamic balance are more important than brute strength!
Rate-of-force production or power (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one of the best physical predictors of athletic success (dynamic balance is the other). At some point, more strength will not increase your power.
From my experience of playing football at the Division I level in college as a defensive back, a big-time bench press max had little to do with successfully playing the game.
And on the occasions that bench press strength came into play, such as taking on a tight end, leverage and body positioning was more important than bench press strength. I know a former NFL lineman who started on 2 Super Bowl championship teams who said that leverage and positioning was more important than bench press strength. He should know.
When I train athletes, I focus on building their full-body strength and endurance as a foundation for speed and power training. Strength is not a bad thing, but I stress more importance on speed, power, quickness, agility, etc. using exercises that simulate game-time actions. That's where games are won and lost.
Download your FREE 10-Minute Strength and Power Workouts now!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Strengthen Hamstrings With This Advanced Exercise
The Russian (or Kneeling) Hamstring Curl is an advanced strength exercise for the hamstrings. There are few injuries as bothersome and harder to recover from than hamstring injuries. Prevention of hamstring injuries is the best solution. Similarly, weak hamstrings can lead to other serious injuries.
1. Start with your upper body in a vertical position. This movement should be controlled and smooth.
2. Move your upper body as far down as possible.
3. Move your upper body back to vertical. That is one repetition.
You can also execute the Russian Hamstring Curl with the assistance of a partner holding down your feet.
Also, try these flexibility and strength exercises for your hamstrings:
Hamstring Flexibility - walking lunges, resistance band eccentric stretch and static stretch (static stretch should be done after workout or game).
Hamstring Strength - lying or standing hamstring machine curl, deadlift and good morning exercise (with or without weights).
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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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1. Start with your upper body in a vertical position. This movement should be controlled and smooth.
2. Move your upper body as far down as possible.
3. Move your upper body back to vertical. That is one repetition.
You can also execute the Russian Hamstring Curl with the assistance of a partner holding down your feet.
Also, try these flexibility and strength exercises for your hamstrings:
Hamstring Flexibility - walking lunges, resistance band eccentric stretch and static stretch (static stretch should be done after workout or game).
Hamstring Strength - lying or standing hamstring machine curl, deadlift and good morning exercise (with or without weights).
Download your FREE 10-Minute Strength and Power Workouts now!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Avoid Knee Injuries With Proper Landings From Jumps
Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries can easily occur when you don't land properly from a jump.
Your joints must be positioned properly in order to activate the correct muscles for jumping with power and landing. Landing on your toes without proper knee and hip flexion will increase your risk of injury.
Quadriceps dominant athletes who run and jump on their toes are also susceptible to knee ACL injuries. This happens when the quadriceps are recruited ahead of the knee flexors to stabilize the knee joint.
Female athletes, in particular, tend to be quadriceps dominant (because of weak hamstrings). Jumping and landing on the balls of the feet will properly activate the knee flexors.
So, how will proper landing technique take the stress off of the knee's ACL? The hamstrings and glutes need to be activated by landing on the balls of your feet with the knees and hips flexed. Activation of the hamstrings and glutes will pull the tibia (shin) back, decreasing the impact on the knee's ACL.
The knees should also be in line with the toes when landing. Risk of injury is greater when the knees "cave in" or rotate outward.
Practice plyometric jumping and landing techniques on a rubber surface, grass or other similar nonhard surface.
Focus on landing with your knees flexed (bent), your shoulders slightly forward and your glutes and hips back. Land on the balls of your feet with your heels slightly off the ground.
Make plyometric jumping and landing technique drills a part of your regular workouts. Your knees will thank you!
Download your FREE 10-Minute Strength and Power Workouts now!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Your joints must be positioned properly in order to activate the correct muscles for jumping with power and landing. Landing on your toes without proper knee and hip flexion will increase your risk of injury.
Quadriceps dominant athletes who run and jump on their toes are also susceptible to knee ACL injuries. This happens when the quadriceps are recruited ahead of the knee flexors to stabilize the knee joint.
Female athletes, in particular, tend to be quadriceps dominant (because of weak hamstrings). Jumping and landing on the balls of the feet will properly activate the knee flexors.
So, how will proper landing technique take the stress off of the knee's ACL? The hamstrings and glutes need to be activated by landing on the balls of your feet with the knees and hips flexed. Activation of the hamstrings and glutes will pull the tibia (shin) back, decreasing the impact on the knee's ACL.
The knees should also be in line with the toes when landing. Risk of injury is greater when the knees "cave in" or rotate outward.
Practice plyometric jumping and landing techniques on a rubber surface, grass or other similar nonhard surface.
Focus on landing with your knees flexed (bent), your shoulders slightly forward and your glutes and hips back. Land on the balls of your feet with your heels slightly off the ground.
Make plyometric jumping and landing technique drills a part of your regular workouts. Your knees will thank you!
Download your FREE 10-Minute Strength and Power Workouts now!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
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